


i feel in my heart the start of something new

by teeandrainbows



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: (it's Ramsay Bolton it comes with the territory), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Meet-Cute, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 09:21:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28468938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeandrainbows/pseuds/teeandrainbows
Summary: Sansa isn't feeling New Year's Eve so she hides and reads.  And then she (re)meets Theon, and shares a few moments with him, making her night that much better.
Relationships: Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23
Collections: Theonsa Yuletide Gift Exchange





	i feel in my heart the start of something new

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year! I just wanted to put out some theonsa to celebrate the new year! They're around 17/18 in this one. It was supposed to be fluffy, but they had other ideas and took it down more of an emotional hurt/comfort route. Title is, of course, from High School Musical because where else would you look for a NYE fic title?

Her family had dragged her out to a New Year’s Eve party, and even though the chance to socialize normally filled Sansa with joy, tonight she just wasn’t feeling it. The breakup with Ramsay was just still too raw, and, truth be told, she was a little worried about how people would see her after the lies her ex-boyfriend had been sharing all over social media.

So, despite the best efforts of her parents, brothers, and even her sister, Sansa had found a quiet nook in the Baratheon lodge as soon as they had arrived for the party, and had pulled out her copy of the latest book in the Florian and Jonquil series she loved so much. Robb had gotten it for her for Christmas, and she was eager to dive into it, to find out if Jonquil would ever forgive Florian for going to the ball with another woman in the previous book in the series.

The party was in full swing, and she could hear the chatter coming from the open living space of the lodge. Robert Baratheon never held back when it came to parties like this, and his caterers had prepared tables upon tables of finger foods, punch for the kids, and champagne for the adults. His decorators had equally gone all out, filling the lodge with silver and gold. Sansa’s nook, though (which she had found on the Christmas Eve party), was hidden under the steps leading up to the loft. She had managed to swipe a tray of lemoncakes, and had one in her hand, nibbling on it as she ran her fingers over the glossy cover of the novel.

When she had finished the lemoncake, it was finally time to read. Sansa grinned to herself, flipping open the front cover and first reading the dedication before finally starting with chapter one. Movement to her left, though, had her pause.

“Mum wants to know if you’re going to make an appearance,” Arya said, crossing her arms in front of her. Sansa sighed, shaking her head. Her mother’s first mistake had been sending Arya of all her siblings to come find her.

“It’s too loud out there,” she replied, lifting her book, “and I want to read.”

Arya rolled her eyes. “If I have to be out there, you have to be out there,” she answered, eyeing the plate of lemoncakes. “What’s your big deal, anyway? It’s not Ramsay’s actually here.”

She drew in a sharp breath through her nose. _Tansy was here_ , Sansa thought, thinking back to the way the girl had sneered at her as she walked into the lodge with her family, just before she had gone to find the nook. That was bad enough.

“Just tell her you couldn’t find me,” she begged, looking up at her sister. If she truly loved Sansa, Arya would see the look of desperation in her eyes and leave her alone.

There was silence between them for a moment.

“Fine,” Arya said, shrugging a shoulder. “But you owe me.”

Sansa nodded. “Of course.”

Arya left, and she was alone once again. After taking a moment to breathe, to remind herself that there was nothing Ramsay could do to ruin her quiet New Year’s Eve, Sansa dove into her book, turning the pages with fingers trembling in excitement. Twenty pages in, Sansa set the book down, sighing contently. It was just the sort of retreat she had needed.

Except now she was thirsty.

She peeked out, towards the punch table. Her mother was there, standing with Renly Baratheon and laughing. Sansa waited, staring longingly at the bowl of punch, but her mother didn’t move.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

She turned, finding a boy she thought she recognized standing behind her. Sansa froze, taking in everything from the curly mop of brown hair on top of his head to the oversized sweater, to the way he stood, slightly hunched over, arms in front of him defensively. She recognized that pose. It was the way she had stood often while dating Ramsay.

She didn’t realize how long she had been staring at him until he cleared his throat.

“Oh!” she voiced, hugging her book to her chest. “I was just, er, thinking about getting some punch.”

The boy cocked an eyebrow. “How long do you need to think about it? I’ve kind of been standing here a few minutes.”

Sansa couldn’t help the blush that started to rise to her cheeks. “Oh, well, you see…” she stammered, glancing sideways.

“I haven’t really seen you out there, either, and I’ve made the rounds a few times,” the boy continued, a smirk now on his face. “What were you doing, hiding?”

After another moment of stammering and a quick glance to see if anyone had seen her, Sansa finally let out a breath. “I actually was. I’m not really up to socializing tonight, so I was just going to read my book.” She held up the book for him to see, her finger holding her spot. “But my mum’s at the punch bowl right now.”

He laughed at her. Actually laughed, and Sansa knew she was now flushing a deep red.

“I know the feeling,” he said, shrugging. “I almost did the same tonight, actually. Well. Not with a book.”

Sansa hummed, glancing back at the punch bowl where her mother was now greeting Olenna Tyrell. Couldn’t she find a different place to hold conversations?

The boy cleared his throat again and she turned back to him.

“Hey. How about I get you a glass and bring it back here. That way, you don’t have to worry about it.”

Sansa let out a breath. “You’d do that?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Thank you,” she breathed, hugging the book to her chest again. “I’m just going to…” she gestured behind him to where her nook was. “I’ll be in there.”

The boy nodded. “Be right back.”

True to his word, he returned a few moments later with two glasses of punch setting them both down on the floor beside Sansa where she sat.

“In case you’re really thirsty,” he said, and she laughed.

“Thank you, er…”

“Theon.”

That was where she recognized him from. Once upon a time, her father had coached Robb’s football team, and Theon had been on the team. Sansa remembered the day that the team had come to the Stark home to celebrate their first victory, and a younger Theon had stuck to the edges of the room while Robb was the centre of attention.

“I’m Sansa,” she said, smiling up at him.

“Oh, I know,” Theon replied. “You’re hard to forget.”

She dropped her chin, letting a curtain of hair separate them. “Right,” she breathed, hoping her hair was hiding the fond smile stretching across her face. “Well… thank you, Theon.”

She heard him kicking at the floorboards before he finally replied, “you’re welcome.”

And then he was gone.

Sansa slowly lifted her head, processing the entire exchange. After a few moments, she returned to her book.

Her mother found her an hour later on her way back from the restroom, and Sansa reluctantly put her book in her bag and followed her mother out into the open space to mingle. She plastered a pleasant smile on her face, greeting people as she made the rounds. When she finally found herself in front of Robert Baratheon, he cheerfully wished her luck in her upcoming piano recital and she politely thanked him. Just past him, though, she spied Theon standing at a window, staring out at the mountain view.

Sansa politely excused herself, slipping away from her mother amid protests and heading to the window. The view was outstanding, Sansa had to admit. It was just another thing Robert Baratheon had refused to go light on.

“Penny for your thoughts?” she asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Theon jumped, glancing behind him and visibly relaxing at the sight of her. “Hey,” he said, regaining the easy composure he had possessed earlier. “You’re not hiding anymore.”

She laughed. “No, I got busted. The punch was great, though.”

“Shame,” he replied, stepping to the side and allowing her to step closer to the window. To him. “Surviving the crowd?”

Sansa shrugged. “Surviving. But, I asked you a question.” She tried to distract him, to avoid any more prodding at her.

“I don’t really know why I’m here, honestly,” Theon said after a brief pause, glancing sideways at her. “My parents aren’t exactly fond of the Baratheons. My uncle dragged me out, though. Said it would be good for networking.”

Sansa hummed, nodding. “There are a lot of people here,” she said.

“Yeah, but it’s really not my thing. You know, what you said earlier? Same thing.”

Sansa glanced at him, watching him rub the back of his neck. It had been years since she had actually seen Theon, but somehow she remembered that exact gesture.

“So you’re just standing here, looking at the mountains?” she asked, bumping shoulders with him.

He shrugged. “Better than socializing.”

It took all of Sansa’s confidence to do what she did next. “There’s a really nice view of the lake from the other deck. Want to come over there with me?” She batted her eyelashes at him for effect, although in hindsight, it was unneeded.

A crooked grin came to Theon’s face and he nodded. “Lead the way.”

Sansa took his hand without thinking about it, pulling him through the crowd of people, not thinking about what her mum would say if she knew that Sansa was once again slipping away from the party. She also wasn’t thinking about the way his hands were rough and calloused, yet he was gentle in the way he curled his fingers around her hand, letting her tug him along. When they reached the other side of the house, Sansa tugged open the screen door and pulled him outside.

“Ta-da!” she said, gesturing out over the lake. It really was a stunning view. Robert Baratheon could not have picked a better spot to build his lodge, nestled between the mountains and the lake. Sansa watched as Theon walked across the deck, leaning on the railing and looking out over the water. After a moment, she slowly walked up beside him, mirroring his pose.

“How do you know all the best spots in a place that doesn’t even belong to your family?” Theon asked, turning to face her.

She shrugged. “When you have four siblings, you get good at finding spots to hide,” she said.

Theon hummed, then turned back to look over the lake. “It’s real nice out here.”

It was, Sansa thought. It wasn’t too cold, although there was snow on the ground. She clasped her hands together, staring out over the lake.

“What are you excited for in the new year?” she asked, suddenly.

He was quiet for a moment. “I’d like to try and start up some of the things I’ve been too busy to do this year,” he said finally. “Like football.”

Sansa blinked. “You still play?” Robb had quit a couple of years ago.

“Not recently,” Theon said, “but I was up until two years ago.” He turned to her. “You remember?”

Her cheeks were starting to get warm again. “It’s hard to forget a bunch of boys invading the house after every game,” she said, shrugging. “And you spent a lot of time at the house.”

“Robb was probably my only friend back then,” Theon replied, bending his head down, avoiding her gaze, “so I liked being at your house. It was pretty normal, compared to my crazy family.”

Sansa grimaced. “You clearly didn’t spend enough time with us. We’re pretty crazy in our own right.” Crazy, but she loved her entire family with her whole being.

“Yeah, but at least you all love each other.”

She turned to him. “Have you talked to Robb tonight?”

Theon shook his head. “Nah, I didn’t want to bug him.”

“You should.” She reached across, resting her hand on top of his. “I’m sure he’d like to see an old friend.”

Theon chuckled. “You’re something else, Sansa Stark.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Theon shrugged. “You say something, and I feel like it’s something I could actually do, when it seemed impossible before.”

She didn’t know what to say to that, so she squeezed his hand. Her mother found them like that just then, and ushered Sansa back inside where she quickly lost Theon in the crowd.

As it drew close to midnight, Sansa was growing tired of talking to adults who wanted to know how her piano lessons were going, what she wanted to study in university, and why she hadn’t gone to the Bolton charity gala the week before Christmas. She was even more tired of the looks on the faces of the people her age who knew about the break-up. Eventually, she managed to give everyone the slip and retreated to the deck facing the mountains. That was where Theon found her, sitting on a bench, her hands clasped in her lap.

“Three times in one night,” he said, sitting next to her. “You okay?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know how many more times I can avoid questions about Ramsay Bolton.”

For a moment, Sansa wasn’t sure if Theon knew what she was talking about. Then, he tentatively put his hand on top of hers.

“People just want a story. They want to think they’re a part of it all,” he said, tucking her hair back as it slipped in front of her face.

She looked up at him, arching an eyebrow. “And they’re not.”

“Exactly.”

“I just wish they would stop asking. He’s made it very clear he doesn’t care about me, so why should anyone else care if we’re together or not?” She couldn’t shake the feeling that what she was doing was actually whining, but Theon didn’t seem to notice, or care.

“You have to take control of the story,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Trust me, that’s the best way to deal with him.”

She frowned. “How do you know?”

Theon was quiet for a long moment, then he spoke, almost at a whisper. “I had to deal with him. As a friend.”

Sansa drew in a breath, watching him. She couldn’t imagine what Ramsay would have been like as a friend, although if she had to guess, it had probably been similar to her own experience. She took her hand from Theon’s, sliding it around his shoulders, silently showing her solidarity.

“Trust me, Sansa,” he repeated, “if you want to get out from Ramsay’s shadow, you have to use your voice. Don’t make my mistake. I barely have anyone.”

She hesitated, then squeezed his shoulders. “You have me.”

They sat together for a moment, until Robb found them.

“San- oh, Theon? It’s been a while,” her brother said, his eyes darting from Sansa’s arm over Theon’s shoulders to Theon’s hand on her knee. “Mum asked me to find you, Sansa. It’s almost time for the countdown.”

Sansa sighed, rising to her feet as Theon followed.

“I’ll be inside in a moment, okay?” She gave Robb a pointed look and he nodded.

“Sure,” he said, shrugging. “See you around?” It was directed at Theon, who gave a small grin.

“Nice to see you, Robb,” he said. Robb nodded at him, then disappeared back into the room.

“You’re not going in there, are you?” Theon asked her.

Sansa shook her head. “Nope. I’m staying here.”

“Then I’ll stay with you.” He took her hand, leading her to the deck railing, and pulled out his phone. “Looks like we have about a minute.”

Sansa chuckled, stepping in closer to him. “Thanks for everything tonight,” she murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder. “It was actually kind of nice.”

“Yeah?” Theon asked, tucking an arm around her waist.

It was strange. She didn’t even mind the touch. In fact, it felt kind of nice. Safe. She didn’t remember feeling safe in Ramsay’s arms.

Behind them, they heard people in the lodge starting to shout out the countdown.

“Eight, seven,” Sansa murmured.

“Six, five,” Theon cut in.

They counted the last few numbers together.

“Four, three, two, one.”

“Happy New Year, Sansa.”

She smiled. “Happy New Year, Theon.”

Sansa couldn’t shake the feeling that this new year would be a lot better than the last one. As she smiled across at Theon, she felt like maybe, just maybe, her life was turning around.

“So. How do you feel about helping me sort out the whole mess with Ramsay?” she asked, turning to Theon.

He arched an eyebrow. “It’d be my pleasure.”

The fireworks went off then, and Sansa turned to watch, pulling Theon around.

She was so engrossed in the light show that she didn’t even notice that Theon wasn’t watching it.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments make my day!


End file.
